att ys



2 SheetsSheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. VON DER KAMMER.

SWITCH, CIRCUIT BREAKER, M.

NO. 381,446. Patented Apr. 17, 1888.

John van derliammcr,

BY @YW ATTYS.

N. PETERS. Pmmmhn m rwr, Washinglo, D. c.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. VON DER KAMMER.

SWITCH, CIRCUIT BREAKER, &c.

. 4? 8% %W. Q/YOh/n van derliammfir BY ATT'YS.

PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN VON DER KAMMER, OF NEWVARK, NEW JERSEY.

SWITCH, CIRCUIT-BREAKER, 80C.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 381,446, dated April 17, 1888.

Application filed February 18, 1888. Serial No, 264,504. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern/.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN VON DER K'Art MER, a subject of the Emperor of Germany, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Switches, Circuit-Breakers, and Closers or Regulators; and I do hereby declare the following tobe a full, clear, and exact description of the invenparts and movements, thereby reducing the chance for disarrangement and wear, and to avoid the necessity for close-fitting joints,and,. to secure other advantageous results in manufacture and operation.

Theinvention consists in the improved circuit maker and breaker and in the arrangement and combination of parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embodied in 'the clauses of the claims.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corre sponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure l is a plan of the improved device. Fig. 2 is a side elevation, and Fig. 3 is a front view of the same. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 are detail views which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to. Fig. 8 is a section taken on line X of Fig. 1. Figs. 9 and 10 are detail views of a handled head, and Fig. 11 is a detail view of a binding post or terminal.

In said drawings, a indicates a basev or bed, preferably having a disk-like form, as indicated in Fig; 1, and it may be hollow on the under side to allow for connections.

I) b are binding posts or terminals of the circuit-breaker or switch, which may be of any ordinary construction and may be of any suitable number in accordance with the results to be secured. The connecting-surfaces I) stand at right angles,or approximately so,to the upper or outer face of the base, so that they will take up less superficial area thereon,and thus a greater number of such connecting-surfaces may be disposed on a given base and a larger number of series may be cut off or connected at a given operation of the hand-piece of the breaker.

0 indicates a connecting-bar adapted to make a contactwith two opposite poles or terminals, b b, to complete a circuit and to be disconnected from said poles or terminals so as to break said circuit. Said'bar c has a vertical movement to and from said poles or terminals, so as to connect with said poles or terminals in its downward movement and disconnect therefrom in its upward movement. Said connecting-bar is carried by a post, d, which has a bearing in a sleeve, 6, secured in the base, the said post sliding downward in said sleeve to bring the bar into contact with the poles, or upward to break the contact.

The upward movement may be limited by a stop, (2, and the downward movement by a shoulder or stop, (1 The said post is preferably angular,and the said sleeveis correspondingly angular, so as to prevent the post from turning in the sleeve, the connecting bar thereby being properly held in operative rela tion to the poles or terminals.

The poles or terminals where they engage the connecting-bar are each preferably provided with a brush or a series ofsprings which are disposed vertically on the studs or bindingmoving bar slides against said springs a contact is surely made.

To break and make a circuit, the bar is raised or lowered from the poles by means of spring-arms e e", which are secured on a pivotal drum or head, f, to which a handle, is secured. Said spring-arms extend from said head f and engage the connecting-bar on its upper and lower edges respectively, one of said spring-arms serving to raise said connecting-bar, and the other to lower the same when said connectingbar, or the standard or post upon which it is secured or formed,is released,. as hereinafter described. The drum or head fhas a Vibratory movement in its bearings g g, and when the said head is moved toward the posts of the poles, so that as the vertically" connecting-bar the spring-arm which bears on the upper side of the said connecting-bar is given increased tension, while in the reverse to tion,j, of one of 'said dogs, and the opposite it is desired to do so.

side of said post beingnotched, as. at k, at its lower part to receive the other of said dogs. Thus when one of the dogs is in engagement with the lower notch the post is prevented from sliding downward,and when the other of said dogs is in engagement with the other upper of said notches the said post is prevented from sliding upward.

The dogs are caused to enter the notches to hold the post automatically by means of a spring, I, which connects said dogs and causes them to spring toward one another when opportunity is afforded.

The dogs are preferably fulcrumed on the plate m, which provides the pivotal bearings g for the head f,and they extend to points adjacent to the said head f, where they may be operated upon by eccentric proj cctions on said head to force the dogs from the notches when Said eccentric projections (marked nand 0, respectively) are so disposed on the head as that when the hand-piece is moved to the limit of its stroke toward the cross-bar, (which will then be in its elevated position, away from the poles or terminals,

and one of the dogs will be in holding relation to the lower notch) one of said eccentric projections will engage with the said dog in such holding relation, and will forcethe said dog from 0 said holding relation, leaving the post and connecting-bar free to be depressed by the spring-arm. The spring-arm which bears on the upper side or edge of said connecting-bar will have acquired considerable tension by the movement of the head and handle, and when the dog is finally released from the notch the said spring will act to depress the said barwith considerable force and bring it into contact with the poles. When thus depressed,

the bar is held in its lower position by the other of said dogs springing automatically into engagement with the upper of the notches.

In a reverse movement of the handle (away from the connecting-bar) the other of said eccentric projections engages the other of said dogs and releases the same, and the spring which has acquired tension by the said reverse or by other constructions.

. the dogs,

bar qth projection a 'iiga 's the inclined .the.-handled head as that they acquire considerable tension before the dogs release the connecting-bar, so that when said bar is released it is forced with a sudden movement particularly desirable, and the opposite arm will not present any material resistance to'such movement. Having thus describedthe invention,what I claim as new isbreaker, of a base having terminals, a connect.- ing-bar movable to and from said terminals,

and a handled head having spring-arms bearing upon said connecting-bar, one of said arms serving to raise said bar when the bandle is turned in. one direction, and the other of said arms serving to depress said bar when. said handle is turned in the reverse direction, and holders for detaining the said movable bar in either its raised or lowered position,v substantiallyas set forth.

2. In combination, in a circuit breaker and closer, a base having terminals, a connectingbar arranged on a post sliding at right angles to said base, suitable holders, such as the dogs h, for holding the said .post in its raised and lowered positions, and a handled head pivoted in suitable bearings and providing arms for 'i'aising and lowering the connecting-bar, and projections for releasing the said holders, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. In combination, a base having terminals, a vertically-sliding post having a connectingbar and having notches, dogs for engaging said notches and holding said postin its raised and lowered positions, and a handled head having projections adapted to engage said dogs to release the same from holding relation to said post, and spring arms for raising and lowering said connecting-arm when the same is released from or in contact with said terminals, substantially as set forth.

4. Ina circuit breaker and closer, 8n, the combination, with a base having terminals, of

a vertically-sliding post having a connectingbar, dogs adaptedtohold said post at the upper or lower limit of its stroke or movement, and ahandled head having arms tooperate the connecting-bar, and projections to release substantially as and for the purposes set forth. 7

.5. In combination, ,a base having terminals and having a perforation to receive a sliding post, the said posthaving a connecting-bar to engage 'the terminals, dogs to engage said post and hold the same at the upper and lower limits of its movement, a spring to hold said dogs normally in contact with said post, and a 5 1.. The combination, in a circuit closer and, j

i i D taining the said connecting-bar in either its raised or lowered position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I r 5 have hereunto set my hand this 13th day of February, 1888.

JOHN VON DER KAMMER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES H. PELL, CONSTANOE H. BALDWIN. 

